National Equality March Hub

As part of a larger interview for the site Reddit, Barney Frank answers a question about the National Equality March and whether marches can effect change. Frank believes the March becomes "a substitute for what we can really get done" by lobbying members of Congress.

Frank also talks about other gay issues that are in the pipeline and how miserable it is to run for office.

In a new column in The Advocate, Michelangelo Signorile notes the divide between the grass roots and the Human Rights Campaign evidenced by action that has been taken by the administration only when pressure has been applied. He also has some suggestions for HRC:

"The group has its work cut out for it — both in trying to bridge the
divide between the organization and much of LGBT America and regaining
the trust it needs from the grass roots and the Net roots if it wants
to work together. It can start by really representing the mainstream
LGBT thinking on Obama and his promises instead of heaping praise on
the president and falling back on its access-at-all-costs strategy,
which has never worked. And HRC should acknowledge to the White
House that the grass roots is very organized, isn’t happy, and will be
marching again. HRC can be a facilitator of that truth rather than
apologizing for the administration. Rather than looking increasingly
irrelevant, our big D.C. lobbying group could actually make itself look
much stronger."

I didn't have a chance to process this clip earlier this week. It featuresf the Knights Out 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery during the National Equality March last weekend, and our interview with Lieutenant Dan Choi.

Straight Italian couple sues cruise company after showing up for their vacation to discover they were departing on Italy's first gay cruise: "My clients were also left embarrassed because among the passengers were
people they knew and had no idea that were gay, which was uncomfortable
for all parties."

Gay activists plan kiss-in at Fort Worth Stockyards: "The kissing booth will be on Exchange Street, right in the heart of
the Stockyards and its bound to stir up controversy. In fact, one old
cowboy has been quoted as warning gays that if they are not careful,
they might be in for a whuppin'."

Gujarat state in India becomes home to the country's first elderly home for gay men: "The brainchild of Manvendra Singh Gohil, popularly known as India's gay prince, the project will be ready to accommodate elderly homosexuals by the end of the year.
Manvendra Singh Gohil says, 'We will offer food, drinks and medical facilities for the people staying here, it will be their home.'
The Rs 25-crore project will be home to 50 elderly gay men to start with. Requests for accommodation have already started trickling in."

Boyzone to hold Stephen Gately vigil on night before the funeral: "Grieving Boyzone bandmates plan to stay in the church with Stephen Gately's body the night before his funeral. Ronan
Keating, 32, Mikey Graham, 37, Shane Lynch, 33, and Keith Duffy, 35,
have taken the decision because Gately 'would not want to be there on
his own', a source close to the group revealed."

Passerby mistakenly frees female killer of London gay man: "Police are looking for three young people including two blonde
teenagers who were caught on CCTV arguing with Baynham and his
30-year-old companion. The victim's friend grabbed one of the
girls, receiving cuts and bruises in the process, but the girl was
freed by members of the public who wrongly thought she was being
assaulted, said Detective Chief Inspector Clive Heys, who is leading
the inquiry."

Bishop Gene Robinson will be appearing tonight at an event in Portland, Maine: "Join us for an evening of edification and education as we gather to
worship God and to hear the words of the Right Reverend V. Gene
Robinson, Episcopal Bishop of the Diocese of New Hampshire. Sponsored
by the Religious Coalition Against Discrimination, the Religious
Coalition for the Freedom to Marry in Maine, Rev. Ann Fowler, the
Cathedral Church of St. Luke, the Equity Fund of the Maine Community
Foundation, and Integrity Maine"

Joy Behar asked Barney Frank last night about health care reform and about his remarks regarding last weekend's National Equality March. Frank told Michelangelo Signorile before the March: "Barack Obama doesn't need any pressure on these things. Secondly, if you do want to pressure Congress, I don't know what standing on the Mall on a weekend when no member of Congress is in town is going to do. All that's going to pressure is the grass."

Says Frank to Behar: "I am afraid that some people will come to Washington and they will march and think they've done it. That's why I said what I did. Marching isn't a negative thing but to the extent that people think that having marched they've done something effective they wouldn't do something that is effective."